Comparison of rural versus urban patients with respect to their clinical features and endoscopic findings in symptomatic dyspepsia patients

Abstract

Introduction: Dyspepsia is a common disorder affecting 23-45% population, globally. Dyspepsia presents with several clinical dilemmas. Clinically Dyspepsia is defined as one or more clinical symptoms of burning, early satiation, epigastric pain and postprandial fullness2. Several studies refereed it to upper abdominal discomfort that specifically arises from upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In latest literature, bloating and nausea also coexist with dyspepsia, however, heart burn is excluded from dyspepsia diagnostic criteria due to primary initiation from esophagus leading towards gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD).Materials and Methods: A retrospective comparative study was conducted in patients attending single gastroenterology centre at Jammu from January 2016 to December 2020. A sample size of 200 patients was compared rural versus urban patients in clinical presentation and endoscopic findings of dyspepsia. Patients were selected using non probability consecutive sampling. Patients with age 16-75 years, both genders, epigastralgia/epigastric burning that last for minimum 3 months and occurrence of symptoms at least 6 months before were included in study. Results: In this study, maximum patients were 31-40 year age group, less number patients were >70 years age group. Age distributions were observed as follows 16-20 years 25(12.5%), 21-30 years 10(5%), 31-40 years 46(23%), 41-50 years 42(21%), 51-60 years 36(18%), 61-70 years 34(17 %), greater than 70 years 7(3.5%). Urban Population predominance is more in endoscopic findings of dyspepsia patients. More endoscopic findings were observed in urban populations when compared with rural population. Erosive Antral Gastritis were observed in 47 urban, 42 rural. Erosive Gastritis were observed in 14 urban and 7 rural patients. Mild Antral Gastritis were observed in 18 male and 15 female patients. Mild Antral Gastritis were observed in 19 urban patients, 14 rural patient’s sir. Mild Antral Gastritis + Granularity were observed in 3 urban patients and 1 patient of rural population.Conclusion: In the present comparative study between rural and urban patients with respect to their clinical features and endoscopic findings in symptomatic dyspepsia patients, the gastritis was found to be the leading problem irrespective of urban regions. In this study we conclude that dyspepsia, epigastric pain, GERD, upper ABD pain, mild anstral gastritis is more in urban population than rural population.